


The Lorelei Chronicles: Circus

by The_Bisexy_Whovian_Werewolf



Category: Doctor Who
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-09-01
Updated: 2016-09-01
Packaged: 2018-08-12 10:37:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,948
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7931404
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/The_Bisexy_Whovian_Werewolf/pseuds/The_Bisexy_Whovian_Werewolf
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When the TARDIS crew decides to take a circus trip, Lorelei accidentally gets roped into the performance.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Lorelei Chronicles: Circus

**Author's Note:**

> Not one of my better stories, but still nice. Also, it's the origin of Lorelei's top hat!

The Doctor said that I should pick where to go next. I like surprises, so I whispered in his ear where I wanted to go, so the others wouldn’t hear. He smiled the way he always does. That’s one thing I’ve noticed about the Doctor. No matter how many times he regenerates, he always has that same grin. That stupid, childish, makes-you-feel-real-good grin. I love it when he does that. He set the space-time coordinates and off we went.  
“Where are we going?”, asked Adric to no one in particular.  
“Oh you’ll see, you’ll see”, the Doctor said mischievously. After a few seconds we landed, and I eagerly rushed for the door. Nyssa pulled me back by the hood of my jacket.  
“Let the Doctor go first, just in case”, she said gently.  
“The TARDIS can be a bit unpredictable”. Tegan snorted.  
“Unpredictable is an understatement. Try uncontrollable”.  
“Hush, you two! She’s sensitive”, the Doctor said in all seriousness. It was easy to forget that the TARDIS was alive and sentient. Nevertheless, Nyssa and Tegan were right. So I let the Doctor grab his hat and head out in front of me.  
“No unpredictability this time! We’re right where we should be!”, he called to us from outside.  
“For once”, Tegan mumbled. I hopped outside and took a breath of fresh air. Even from our secluded location within a thick forest, you could hear other people nearby, laughing and having fun. This time I grinned, knowing that it was going to be an awesome day.  
“Doctor, please at least give me a hint as to where we are”, Adric pleaded. He sounded a bit annoyed. I knew he wouldn’t be when we got to where we were going.  
“My dear Adric, you’ll know where we are when we get there. For now, just follow Lorelei”.  
“Yeah, follow me troops”, I said like a proper army general. The others humored me and started marching. We didn’t have to march for very long before we got to our destination, a large clearing in the middle of the forest. However, this part of the forest was far from empty. For in the very center stood a huge red tent with white stripes, like a candy cane. It didn’t take long for Adric to realize where we were. And as I predicted, his annoyance turned into glee.  
“A circus! An Earth circus perhaps? This certainly looks like Earth”, he chimed.  
“Oh boy, I haven’t been to the circus since I was eight. I suddenly feel nostalgic”, said Tegan. Nyssa didn’t seem happy. She looked confused.  
“Hold on a moment. You guys, look at the other people wandering around. Do you notice anything odd?”, she finally said. We all looked around. There were tons of other circus-goers walking around. Some were eating snack foods, some were watching pre-show side performers, and some were playing carnival games Then realization hit me. Some of these people weren’t people at all! There were aliens everywhere, walking amongst humans like it was perfectly normal.  
“Hmm, that is strange. We are definitely on Earth, but we must have landed in the wrong year. The future, obviously”, the Doctor concluded.  
Tegan groaned, but the Doctor gave her a look before she could make any smart remarks.  
“Well it doesn’t matter. I for one am glad to know that circuses aren’t a lost art in the future”, I said optimistically.  
“Quite right. C’mon everyone, the show won’t start for a little bit. Let’s explore the grounds”, the Doctor bubbled.  
And that’s exactly what we did. Adric bought a red balloon from a vendor, Nyssa bought popcorn and a hotdog, and the Doctor tried his hand at a balloon popping game. He won a rubber snake which, if I could get my hands on it, would “accidently” end up in someone’s bed. I had to drag Tegan away from the strongman before she began to drool. We all ended up sitting under a lone tree behind the tent to rest before the show started.  
“I’ve never been to a circus before. According to the TARDIS databanks, it’s traditionally a show made up of several acts that can be anything from acrobatics, to clowning, to natural oddities”, Nyssa stated in between bites of hotdog.  
“That’s true, but one doesn’t learn everything from reading databanks. For some things, one must experience them for oneself”, the Doctor said sagely.  
Nyssa nodded in agreement. Suddenly, the wind picked up and blew Adric’s balloon from his hand. It floated up through the tree branches before getting stuck.  
“Well I’m not going to climb to get it back”, said Adric calmly, though I could tell he did want it back. “Relax, I’ll get it”, I said. I checked to make sure no one else was watching, and then I turned into a redjay. I flew all the way up to where the balloon was and grasped its string in my beak, pulling it down with me when I flew back to the others.  
“Thank you. At least I'll have it until you disappear”, Adric said gratefully.  
“But shouldn’t you be more careful transforming with all these people around?”, Tegan wondered.  
“Don’t worry”, I assured her. “Why would people notice me over all the noise and excitement?”.  
“I suppose you’re right. Is the show about to start?”.  
“Yes, I think so. C’mon everyone”, said the Doctor. As we got up to leave, a man came rushing over to us.  
“Excuse me”, he said in a cockney accent. “May I ask you something?”. The Doctor turned to look at this man.  
“Of course, but I have a question for you first. Would you happen to know what year it is?”, he questioned. The gentleman laughed.  
“Fancy yourself a clown, eh? It’s 5123 of course”.  
“Fifty-second century. Figures”, the Doctor mumbled to himself.  
“Now then about my question. The truth is I was about to go into the tent when I noticed that balloon of yours floating away. And I saw your little transformation trick”.  
Tegan shot me a nasty “I told you so” look. I looked at the Doctor worriedly, but he seemed calm as ever. The man continued talking.  
“What I’d like to know is, can you do anything else besides red jays?”.  
“Erm…”, I stammered. “Who wants to know?”.  
“Ah, I suppose I forgot to explain myself. I’m the ringleader of this here circus, and we’re always looking for new talent. Now, last time I checked, animal transformation was definitely on the list of talents. So, are you in? If you’d like, I could get free admission for your friends here”.  
At this point, I had a huge grin on my face. A chance to star in a circus! Stuff like this only happened every so often.  
“Can I Doctor?”, I pleaded with him. “Pleeeeease”. He smiled.  
“I don’t see why not. You can count on us cheering for you”.  
“So it’s settled then. Follow me to the other performers, and we’ll get you all set up”, the ringleader said kindly.  
“Alright, just give me a moment”. He nodded and walked off towards a group of trailers.  
“You’re so lucky”, said Adric, a hint of jealousy in his voice. As if reading my mind, Nyssa piped up.  
“Do I detect envy in your words, my dear Adric?”, she teased.  
“Sorry, but I don’t think the world is ready for a mathematical genius circus performer”, Tegan laughed.  
“What I want to know”, I said, “is why everything here looks so 1980’s. I mean, if we really are in 5123, that is”.  
“You see, in the fifty-second century, the Earth has long been deserted. “The reason everything looks so twentieth-century is because… well, that’s just the style these days. Sort of a revival period, you might say”, the Doctor informed us.  
“And no one will think Lorelei’s powers odd?”, Nyssa asked.  
“No, with all these aliens around, humans have become a lot more open minded. They’ll think she’s just an alien doing some kind of body trick, like contortionists or weightlifters”.  
I could hear the ringleader calling me, so I said goodbye and ran over to him. They all wished me good luck and made their way over to the circus entrance. I saw them leave towards the tent entrance, and I followed the ringleader into a room filled with costumes.  
“Well, take your pick”, he said. “Actually, I don’t need a costume. I can change my clothes into whatever I want”, I explained to him.  
“Well, look anyways. Just to get an idea”.  
I searched through every kind of costume from clown to witch. But at last, I saw the perfect outfit on a mannequin. A frilled, white shirt, a purple vest with gold swirls, a velvet black jacket, dull green pants, a purple bowtie, and a black top hat to finish it all off.  
“Hmm, that’s what our magician is supposed to wear”, he said when I pointed the clothes out. My face fell, but I noticed a mischievous look in his eyes.  
“I think we can make it work”, he said grinning.

Because I was so new, my act came on late in the show. I was anxious yet excited to be performing in front of such a large crowd. I hoped they’d like my act. As it turns out, the performers had been writing a transformation act for a while now. They just hadn’t found the right person for the part. Of course, I made a few changes, but nothing too complicated. Watching the other acts was half the fun. I had to turn invisible so no one would see me peeking from behind the curtain. Seeing the acrobats soar, watching the contortionists twist like pretzels, laughing at the clowns falling everywhere. Finally, it came my turn. I couldn’t help but get butterflies in my stomach. I heard the ringleader say  
“Dearest audience, allow me to present to you that maven of magic, the one, the only… great Aldagi!”.  
The audience cheered. I saw The Doctor and the others in their seats. Using a psychic link, I focused in on what they were saying. “When will Lorelei come on? It’s been a while now”, Adric said worriedly. I grinned, knowing that his question would soon be answered. The great Aldagi, who was about my age (and whose real name was Lawrence Aldagi), took out a pack of cards and waved them around mysteriously, as if he was about to show off the most amazing card trick in the world. That was my cue. I let out a very loud bark, loud enough that everyone in the tent could hear. Lawrence feigned confusion, making the audience believe that this was unintentional. As rehearsed, he walked over to the left stage entrance, looked behind the curtain, found nothing there, and went back to his trick. Again, I barked. The audience chuckled slightly, and Brian faked embarrassment. This time he checked the right stage entrance. Again, nothing. Finally, I started howling up a storm. The magician rubbed his forehead and started to walk towards the middle stage entrance. But before he could get there, I transformed into a large labrador behind the curtain, and came running out at top speed. I lept and barreled right over him, knocking him to the ground. At this, the audience laughed, just like I thought they would. Things were going well so far, but could we keep it up? As Brian lied there, I sniffed him. I took his top hat in my teeth and started shaking it. A dove flew out, and the commotion of it flying around “woke” him. When he saw me, a dog, holding his top hat, he immediately took out a milk bone from his pocket and shook it at me, whistling and gesturing for me to come closer. I started to creep closer, top hat still in teeth. When I was mere inches away from the bone, I jerked my head away, leaving poor Brian grasping at the air in an attempt to steal back his hat. Again, the audience laughed. I hoped my friends had recognized me, but if they hadn’t, then they surely would soon. Still carrying the hat, I lept onto a nearby table. The act before us had been skaters, and they had been using the table to leap over. Now came the part I was most excited about. I stood up on my hind legs and slowly began to transform back into my real self. Mystical music played in the background. The audience gasped, mesmerized by my metamorphosis. Brian was supposed to look shocked too, but I think a little bit of his amazement was for real. When I was all done, not only had I gone from dog to human, but I was wearing the exact same outfit as Brian. The only difference was that I had the top hat. I stood up, placed the hat firmly on my head, and extended my hand towards him. He took it slowly, and helped me off the table. He stared at me in fake confusion, and I stared at him in glee. I copied his exact movements for about ten seconds, before startling him by blowing on his face. This time the audience roared. It was the best sound I’d ever heard. My blowing had woke him from his trance, and his expression immediately turned to one of annoyance. He outstretched his arm and motioned for me to give him the hat. I took it off my head and almost gave it to him, but instead made it vanish with a flourish, replacing it with a bouquet. I bowed and gestured for him to take it. He grinned slightly, humouring me. As he went to smell the flowers, a huge stream of water burst from the petals. I turned to watch my friends crack up in their seats. Now the poor magician was mad. He took off his jacket and put his fists up. I crossed my arms, amused. I made the “come at me” motion, inviting him to take a swing at me. He did precisely that, except I had a trick up my sleeve. As he came at me, I teleported to the right of him.The crowds gasped at my teleportation. Brian stumbled and almost fell, but I grabbed him by his collar and pulled him back up. Apparently he hadn’t learned his lesson, because he took another swing at me. This time I teleported behind him, transforming into a bear at the same time. When he looked around to find where I was, I tapped him on the shoulder. When he saw me, he jumped through the roof and didn’t land on his feet; I didn’t bother to grab him this time. The audience howled. I could see the Doctor whistling and Tegan cheering. For the grand finale, Brian started swinging his fists around and jumping like a kangaroo. So I beat him at his own game. I transformed into a real kangaroo, leaving the hat to hang off one of my ears. I faced Brian, balling my hands into fists. He stopped swinging his fists and gulped. I started hopping towards him, forcing him into a corner. Like kangaroos do, I stood up on my tail and kicked. He ducked, of course, and took out a white handkerchief, waving it around like a surrender flag. I changed back into a human and grabbed his hand, helping him up. I took the hat off and extended it towards him. He was naturally dubious of my offer, but I nodded sincerely, trying to prove that I wanted him to have it. Finally he grinned and reached out to take it. Before he could, I took the hat and shoved all the way onto his head. He struggled to get the hat off, stumbling around all the while. Finally he tripped over his own feet and came crashing behind the right stage curtain. The audience gave one final roar. I turned to them with a huge grin on my face and shrugged nonchalantly, before running behind the curtain myself. My act was over. And I’m pretty sure everyone loved it.

After the show, my friends came by the tent.  
“Lorelei that was amazing!”, Tegan said with glee.  
“You were hilarious”, the Doctor said, still chuckling a little. I bowed, and they all clapped, even Adric. Brian came running up to me, looking flustered.  
“Oi, you were pretty good out there, for a first time. Fancy staying for more shows? We could use an act like yours”. I shook my head. Being in a circus was amazing, but I belonged with my friends.  
“That’s too bad. Well, maybe I’ll see you again someday. Here, at least take this”, he said, shoving the top hat into my hands.  
“I can get a new one anywhere”, he explained.  
“Thank you so much”, I told him before leaving. On the way back to the TARDIS, I started to get sleepy.  
“Are you alright?”, Nyssa questioned when she saw how I could barely keep my eyes open.  
“I’m just tired. I had to link up with the entire audience, plus all the performers. That takes a lot of brainpower”, I told her.  
“Well, I think we should all nap when we get back”, the Doctor announced like a father who had been wandering around with his kids all day.  
“It’s been a very exciting day indeed”, Tegan agreed. And with that, we stepped into the cluster of trees where the TARDIS was housed. It had been an exciting day, one that made me feel glad to be with people like the Doctor and his companions.  



End file.
